The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-07-02

Ben seemed very well pleased. now
ever; paid his three dollars q week
cheerfully and promptly, and really
seemed to gain a sort offoot hold in the
outskirts of Miss Comforts stony heart.
The chronic frown over her formidable
nose had once or twice relaxed quite
%perceptibly at some of the rolickins
stories of the adventures related by the
young sailor, aud there is no telling to
what length she might have thawed,
in time, had she not, in an unlucky
moment, detected the insidious Ben in
the very act of making love to pretty
Hetty.
To a disintercsted observer the pict.
ure would have been q charming one;
Hetty, seated on the vinc-hung porch,
her fair head dropping and her face
dyed with bushes, while the young
man leaned over her. his frank, manly
countenance lighted with love and
hope. The sun, from the far horizon,
sent slanting shafts of crimson through
the diamond-shaped lattice-work of the
porch, as if in benediction on the happy
lovers. while the tall forest trees by the
roadside cast long. level shadows over
the d%oor-yard. their interlaced branches
forming a checker-work Of lights and
shadows on the grassy sward.
We're they typical of the lights and
shadows to come in the future lives of
those two? Perhaps SO; but a more
direful shadow, for the present. fell
owe the happy lovers, as Miss Com
forts tall form doomed t~hreateningly
over them.
Hctty was banishcd ANONYMOUSLY to
the unromantic precincts of the sum-
mer kitchen, where she giggled and
cried alternately rs visions of herlover
and her aunt chased themselves before
her b%ewildcred fancy.
Sailor Ben, looking like criminal,
after a short but i~ncisive lecture from
the injured Miss Comfort mcekly
sought his forfeited chamber, where he
packed his few belongings into the
shining new yalisc, purchased a month
or two before, and, obcdient to his
landlady's mandates. ''took himself
off," without even farewell word to
his bctrothcd; for such Hetty was. In
the brief, bright moments preceding
the avengers sudden appearance on
the scene, Ben had asked, and Hetty
had answered. the one question Oh
which their future lives were to hinge.
Notwithstanding Miss Comforts mo.
mentary triumph, fortune, OF fate, Or
whatever it was. proved to much for
her; for, N bright golden summer
morning, when the sun had just peeped
smilingly over the adjacent hill-tops,
and the Dutch pinks in the little door
yard were looking fresh and bright aft
er their bath of morning dew, Miss
Comfort suddenly awoke to the fact
that her niece's bed had not
been occupied during the
night; also. that Hetty herself was
missing, together with her Sunday.
frock'' and "cart- Wheel hat; and the
horrible suspicion which flashed over
her was further confirmed by a scraw-
ly little note, pinned to the scarlet,
tomato-shaped pin-cushion on the wall.
and informing Hetty's "deer ant" that
her niece had gone away to be married
to Ben Paddock. and ''hopping her
deer ant would forgive her ~affexionate
niece, Hetty Witherell." The shock
was a severe one, but Miss Comfort
bore it rs stoically as a sphinx
She'll live to RE this nights work,
as shore as my names Comfort Pike"
she informed herself solcmnly.
Then tying red cotton handkerchief
over her head she set forth. pail in
hand, to attend to Hctty's work Of
milking the cows, which were lowing
~distractedly At the pasture bars. Evil
IDENTIFY they were not accustomed to be
kept waiting to such an untimely hour.
and were impatient to be t~rampling
the long p~asture-grass and nipping the
crisp daisies and tender thistle-stalks
ere the dew was dried.
Miss Comfort proceeded to her un-
wonted task with the air Of a martyr
going to the stake. and soon her six.
quart milk pail was frothing with the
snowy fluid. the bars were let down
and put up again, and, after methodic-
ally straining away the milk in the
cool spring. house. Miss Comfort con-
descended to prepare her own morning
repast, with only u shade more Of
of gloom than was usual In her man
ner.
Six days later Hctty came back.
She was Mrs. Paddock now. she i'm
formed her aunt, radiantly. Her hus.
band vas at her side, looking moro
smiling and jolly than eve But Miss
Comfort refused to speak n word to
the d~isobedient couple, and ruthlessly
shut the door in their faces; and 80
Sailor Ben took his little wife to the